Gareth Griffiths, a newly capped University of Pretoria (UP) graduate, was awarded the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences (EMS) Vice-Chancellor and Principal's Medal for Excellent Undergraduate Academic Achievement.

The medal was conferred at the EMS Faculty’s graduation ceremony on 2 May 2023, when Griffiths graduated with a BCom Accounting Sciences degree. UP is renowned for its excellence in accounting education and is ranked first in Africa and South Africa in the Accounting and Finance subject areas in the latest QS World Subject Rankings. UP also achieved a 100% pass rate in the South African Institute’s Chartered Accountancy Initial Test of Competency.

Griffiths, who hopes to become a chartered accountant, is currently studying towards a Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting and a Certificate in the Theory of Accounting. Talking about his studies, he shared that, after having completed his first two years of study online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he has enjoyed networking with his fellow students and getting to know them in person. He enjoyed his studies, especially once he began to understand the relevance of his programme in society, which reassured him that he had taken the right decision when he chose to pursue a career in accounting.

Prof Sunil Maharaj, Deputy Vice-Principal of Research and Postgraduate Studies at UP; Gareth Griffiths and Prof Margaret Chitiga-Mabugu, Dean of the EMS Faculty

Although his excellent results were well rewarded, he admitted that achieving those results had not been easy, given the volume of work he had to process and the academic demands of the course. “I had to remain motivated to push myself. Working to a schedule helped me to keep up to date with work, and taking regular breaks helped me to stay motivated to achieve my goals,” he said. While hard work, dedication and discipline were central to his academic success, his participation in non-academic activities provided him with a much-needed break from his studies and aided with honing his social skills.

As a TuksVillage resident, Griffiths actively participated in residence activities and served on the TuksVillage House Committee in 2020/2021. He is also a member of the PTA Coffee Run group, which regularly organises runs in and around the Hatfield area. Planning is key to balancing his academic and social activities to ensure that he leads a holistic life, he explained. “To grow as a person, it is important to effectively manage both studies and personal activities.  I used planning to ensure that I could fit everything into my week.”

Griffiths, who said that he felt “deeply honoured and humbled to have been awarded the VC’s medal for excellent undergraduate academic achievement”, added that he has learnt some key lessons during his three years of study. “My achievements have shown me what I am capable of and made me realise that I should never underestimate myself. I learnt that with resilience and enthusiasm you can achieve anything to which you apply your mind, and that surrounding yourself with people who inspire you to become better is one of the best ways you can set yourself up for success.” He is grateful for the support structures in place at UP and in the EMS Faculty and high-end facilities, which were vital to his success.

His advice to students who wish to achieve academic excellence and success is: “Believe in yourself—consistent work pays off in the long run. Being disciplined is difficult today, but makes tomorrow easier. Take care of yourself by resting when necessary and taking time to do things that you enjoy. Remember:  You’re not going to master the rest of your life in one day. Just relax and master each day. Then keep doing that every day. Pursuing a degree is a long journey. Relax, be kind to yourself, but keep moving forward.”